How to open a new campsite???

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gorilla

Settler
Jun 8, 2007
880
0
52
merseyside, england
i'd just like to thank everyone for their ongoing ideas and encouragement. i'm in derbyshire next week for a couple of days, so i'm going to have a look round the peak area, and see if there is anything available. i think renting farmland is the way to go, and wil be focusing my search there. looks like it's time to clock up a few miles in the landy!
 

Toadflax

Native
Mar 26, 2007
1,783
5
64
Oxfordshire
The reasons are unfortunate, but you may well have picked a very good time to try renting farmland as I suspect that if I was a farmer, I would be looking for new sources of revenue at the moment.

I like the sound of the Peak District - not too far for me to travel.



Geoff
 
Nov 14, 2005
124
0
46
Northiam, East Sussex
I too have looked into this with a friend and we produced a draft business plan. Our biggest stumbing block is where we live in the south east and a general lack of suitable land and the major problem that the dream campsite we had envisaged was extremely unlikely to get off the ground.

We had a plan to buy some woodland (not quite as simple as that, we had something very specific in mind, but you get the gist!) and set up a bushcraft orientated campsite with a number of other attractions, BUT no matter what you buy unless it already IS a campsite, you will have to apply to the council for a 'change of use' for the land to turn it into a campsite and a comercial venture. Chances of getting such a change on a piece of actual woodland is extremely unlikely according to our local council.

Farmland would be a better bet, but even then its location could be key. Many 'locals' may not want a campsite in their area and many people seem to have an image of it being misused by travellers and the like with or without your permission. Also, if its a farmers field and the next field alongis for his livestock he may not take too kindly to having a campsite next door with unruly kids and large numbers of people regularly tromping across it.

There just seem to be so many posible problems, but that said, I'm sure if you keep at it, pick you site very carefully and pitch it to the council in a sound plan with good financial projections and the possibility that you are going to be attracting tourists to the area, who knows, anything IS possible.

Also bear in mind that if you managed to set up a camp site anywhere that your not going to be able to pick and choose who stays there, you'll have all sorts turning up from your typical family, the lads out for a laugh, the late night music brigade, the bushy types that you actually want to attract and it may not all mix and could be a 'mare to manage!

Sure got to beat a 9-5 desk job though!

Good luck to you.

Geoff
 

Greg

Full Member
Jul 16, 2006
4,335
259
Pembrokeshire
but don't worry - when the wintermoot is taking place at my site in 2 or 3 years, i won't assume you're coming

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
Well said Gorilla, I for one would definately use your site if that was OK with you when its up and running. Good luck to you is all I have to say...
 

gorilla

Settler
Jun 8, 2007
880
0
52
merseyside, england
I too have looked into this with a friend and we produced a draft business plan. Our biggest stumbing block is where we live in the south east and a general lack of suitable land and the major problem that the dream campsite we had envisaged was extremely unlikely to get off the ground.

We had a plan to buy some woodland (not quite as simple as that, we had something very specific in mind, but you get the gist!) and set up a bushcraft orientated campsite with a number of other attractions, BUT no matter what you buy unless it already IS a campsite, you will have to apply to the council for a 'change of use' for the land to turn it into a campsite and a comercial venture. Chances of getting such a change on a piece of actual woodland is extremely unlikely according to our local council.

Farmland would be a better bet, but even then its location could be key. Many 'locals' may not want a campsite in their area and many people seem to have an image of it being misused by travellers and the like with or without your permission. Also, if its a farmers field and the next field alongis for his livestock he may not take too kindly to having a campsite next door with unruly kids and large numbers of people regularly tromping across it.

There just seem to be so many posible problems, but that said, I'm sure if you keep at it, pick you site very carefully and pitch it to the council in a sound plan with good financial projections and the possibility that you are going to be attracting tourists to the area, who knows, anything IS possible.

Also bear in mind that if you managed to set up a camp site anywhere that your not going to be able to pick and choose who stays there, you'll have all sorts turning up from your typical family, the lads out for a laugh, the late night music brigade, the bushy types that you actually want to attract and it may not all mix and could be a 'mare to manage!

Sure got to beat a 9-5 desk job though!

Good luck to you.

Geoff

thanks Geoff - your post pretty well sums up the problems i've had. i'm not worried about attracting the right type of people to the site - the right advertising would pretty much take care of that (see the Glyn Y Mul website)
the eternal stumbling block is still finding the land - it is becoming like a Grail quest!!
we are currently drawing up a business plan/cost projection with my brothers help, and over the next 2 or 3 months are planning on travelling to the 3 or 4 areas we're considering and doing some legwork driven research
 
Nov 14, 2005
124
0
46
Northiam, East Sussex
Well good luck to you, hope it works out. Be sure to let us know how you get on.

Have a think though about what else you can do with the land and what might attract people to the site, i.e. what is in the local area, is there good walking, foraging, wildlife in the area, etc.

You might get a better response in your area, the south east is just too overcrowded now and I get the impression if there is a field somewhere thats suitable for people to camp on then they'd rather put houses on it!

Cheers
Geoff
 

sandsnakes

Life Member
May 22, 2006
983
13
68
West London
If you purchased a combined site that is both woods and open land. The open area could be your registered campsite and the woods could be open for 'general access' etc.

I would think the problem is that councils would see change of use as 'flatten the wood, build roads, concrete shower blocks, caravans etc, etc.

If you produced artist sketches that detailed landscaping to hide things, wood chip roads, and no caravans, allowed bush screens for the site. No caravans means no hard standings and no standpipes, power links etc.

If you made everything from the shower block to the office 'eco friendly' it is also another string to your bow as it will not place starin on sewage etc. They may be more inclined to accept your argument if they are made aware that it is low impact and that is the selling point.


Sandsnakes
 

Nightwalker

Native
Sep 18, 2006
1,206
2
38
Cornwall, UK.
www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk
Sounds like a nice idea, I hope you pull it off.

Myself and a friend just spent a few days in the woodland at Glyn Y Mul Farm. We had bad luck as the camping trip we had planned for months turned out to be exactly when the servre weather/flooding happened, but we went anyway. The site was lovely, I wont go into detail because there's enough on the site, but I can tell you Ian (the owner) is a very nice/helpful and informative person, I should imagine he will be very helpful and will tell you a hell of a lot of the stuff you need to know. He told us a few things about how he ran his site. I can say he is a very busy man through the summer, well he was when we were there, so probably spending a few nights there would be a good way to sit down with beer with him when he's got the chance.

They're very self-sufficient on the farm, they have their own water-source that they purify, they have a turbine for elecricity. I think its good that they have both fields for your normal campers/tents/caravans and woodland, I would recommend that. Ian was fine with campfires even on the field area's however it had to be in one of the half-keg things, so it didnt ruin the grass everywhere.

When we went up the woodland got flooded and we had to abandon camp at 6am with streams starting to flow under our hammocks, lol, and retreated to a tent up on steep/well-drained field, it was the worst weather since records began, just our luck for our well planned trip! lol. There's a few shots at the site on my gallery:
http://www.ashleycawley.co.uk/bushcraft-2007/index.html
The second half of the shots are at the Summer Bushmoot. Good luck with your plans and let me know when you've got your site up ;)
 

gorilla

Settler
Jun 8, 2007
880
0
52
merseyside, england
Sounds like a nice idea, I hope you pull it off.

Myself and a friend just spent a few days in the woodland at Glyn Y Mul Farm. We had bad luck as the camping trip we had planned for months turned out to be exactly when the servre weather/flooding happened, but we went anyway. The site was lovely, I wont go into detail because there's enough on the site, but I can tell you Ian (the owner) is a very nice/helpful and informative person, I should imagine he will be very helpful and will tell you a hell of a lot of the stuff you need to know. He told us a few things about how he ran his site. I can say he is a very busy man through the summer, well he was when we were there, so probably spending a few nights there would be a good way to sit down with beer with him when he's got the chance.

They're very self-sufficient on the farm, they have their own water-source that they purify, they have a turbine for elecricity. I think its good that they have both fields for your normal campers/tents/caravans and woodland, I would recommend that. Ian was fine with campfires even on the field area's however it had to be in one of the half-keg things, so it didnt ruin the grass everywhere.

When we went up the woodland got flooded and we had to abandon camp at 6am with streams starting to flow under our hammocks, lol, and retreated to a tent up on steep/well-drained field, it was the worst weather since records began, just our luck for our well planned trip! lol. There's a few shots at the site on my gallery:
http://www.ashleycawley.co.uk/bushcraft-2007/index.html
The second half of the shots are at the Summer Bushmoot. Good luck with your plans and let me know when you've got your site up ;)

great photos! - i love the look of the camp by the river in the woods - just the kind of thing i want to do!
ps very impressed with the tarp set-up over the tent - will try that next time i take the 2-man out
 

stephwana

New Member
Mar 8, 2013
1
0
Sydney
6 years on I wondered if you have managed to make a go of it? Any updates would be good as this is my dream too!

Steph
 

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